Charles R. Drew: Surgeon, Scientist, and Educator

Abstract

The first African-American Surgeon to achieve extensive training in medical research in the modern era was Dr. Charles Drew (1904–1950) who completed a doctoral degree in medical sciences at Columbia University in 1940. He became the director of the American Red Cross Blood Bank program during World War II and received many accolades for his work with plasma. This historical vignette reviews the details of his life as a scientist and surgical educator while fighting the overpowering racism which black professionals were subjected to during that time. The controversial aspects and facts of his premature death in an automobile accident in the South are explored as well.